Which definition best matches the word abbreviation?

• A. A long form of a word used in formal writing
• B. A symbol used to denote something
• C. The act of shortening something
• D. A shortened form of a name, phrase or word

Answer: (D)

An abbreviation is the shortened form of a word or phrase used to save space or simplify expression. The best description among the options is the one that defines it as a shortened form of a name, phrase or word, because that directly captures what an abbreviation is. The full form used in formal writing refers to the expansion, not the shortened version. A symbol used to denote something describes signs or symbols, which is a different idea, and the act of shortening describes the process, whereas the term abbreviation refers to the resulting shortened form itself.